An Upper Shari’a Court sitting in Kano on Wednesday, sentenced a 60-year-old man, Mati Abdu, to death by stoning after his conviction for raping a 12-year-old girl.

Abdu was convicted on a count charge of rape contrary to Section 126 of Kano State Shari’a Penal Code Law 2000.

The Trial Judge, Ibrahim Sarki-Yola, said the accused person pleaded guilty to the charge after the case was adjourned for the fourth time without changing his plea.

Sarki-Yola said the Court was convinced by the accused person’s admission of the charge against him and found him guilty.

The Judge, thereafter, convicted the accused and sentenced him to death by stoning under Section 127 (b) of the Kano State Shari’a Code Law 2000.

Sarki-Yola, however, ordered a 30-days grace within which to appeal the judgment.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Ms. Badariya Muhammad, had told the court that the convict committed the offense sometimes in 2019, at Farsa village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of the State.

Muhammad told the court that the convict at about 1:00 p.m. had unlawful canal knowledge of the 12-year-old girl under a tree situated at Farsa village in Tsanyawa.

The prosecution argued that the offense contravened Section 126 of Kano State Shari’a Penal Code Law 2000.

In his submission before the Court, Abdu pleaded guilty to the charge in four separate sittings of the Court.